Thursday, April 28, 2011

Hot Pot

Last night, I had the pleasure of dining at our all-time favorite restaurant with my friends. Lao Sze Chuan in Chinatown continues to “wow” and surprise us at every visit.

This time, Liane, Miss Healthypants, and I decided to branch out from the usual menu selections and ordered their famous Hot Pot. For those unfamiliar with Hot Pot, it’s sort of the Chinese equivalent of fondue.

A boiling cauldron of broth is brought to the table set atop a heat source. In this case, we selected the two-sided cauldron featuring a mild broth and a fiery, chili-garlic infused broth. In this photo, we’ve already dumped in some veggies.



Then, they bring out your dunking items. Here’s a plate containing shrimp, mussels, squid, fresh fish, assorted vegetables, tofu, fish balls, pork balls, and squid balls. Bean-thread noodles are on the side.



And if that wasn’t enough, out comes a platter of thinly sliced beef and lamb.



A variety of dipping sauces accompanies the Hot Pot.

Each diner plunks an item in a little wire basket and dunks it in the simmering broth to cook it. Here is Miss Healthypants, preparing a fish ball with glee and mirth.



Needless to say, Hot Pot is a delightfully messy endeavor.



It’s a lot of food and we couldn’t finish it all. But what a great way to enjoy a meal – casually simmering tasty things at a leisurely pace.

Good food and great friends. We’re lucky people.


3 comments:

  1. That was sooo fun, Dooder! :) :)

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  2. That looks fantastic!

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  3. I love reading your food adventures. I'm not nearly that courageous but the hubster would be right there with ya. We are still talking about trying to get out that way before too long. Actually my daughter, SIL and granddaughter will be there next month for a wedding. Wish it were me!

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